Apparatus for removing snow from roads and streets



APPARATUS FO REMOVNG SNOW FROM ROADS ND STREETS .Filed April 18, 1923 2 Sxeetzx-Shee'f,

H.- GRIMES APPARATUS FOR REMOVING SHOW FROM ROADS AND STREETS Filed April 1s. 192s' 2 Sheets-Shes 2 over roads of all conditions.

Patented Sept. 16, 1924-.

Unirse stares P TENT ePrice-[f HOWARD GRIMES, OF TICONDEROGA, YORK.

,ArrARATUs son Rnivrovme snow FROM RoAns AND STREETS.

Application feed April is, i923. semi' No. 632,904.

T 0 all whom t may concefm' v Be it known'that I, HOWARD GRIMEs, a'

, ing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to malte and use the same. Y

My invention relates to apparatus frre# moving snow from roads and streets and has for its object the provision of a snow plow which may be coupled to a tractoror motor vehicle and pushed over a road in advance of the Vpropelling vehicle. The invention seeks to provide a snow plow whichV will not easily skid or turn aside from a prescribed path but will follow a course determined by the steering of the motor vehicle. The in'- vention also comprehends means for vertically adjusting the plow and reducing `or increasing the spread of thesame to meet varying conditions. The invention is illust-rated in the accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a motordriven snow plow embodying the invention;

Figure E2 is a side elevation, the tractor being omitted;

Figure 3 is a front end view showing the tractor in place;

Figure 4 is a sectional view through the raising mechanism.

The tractor 1 may be of any well-known or preferred type except that, instead of traction wheels, it is equipped with the endless traction treads 2 to facilitate itst'ravel In advance of the tractor, I arrange a pair of runners 3 connected by cross bars 4 and having hinged thereto a push bar 5 which extends rearwardly and is hingedly coupled to the front end of the tractor in any convenient manner. Obviously, the runners will pass over the surface of the road when the tractor is driven and, as the tractor is steered in the usual manner, the runners may be readily caused to take a desired path and follow the road. They are equipped at their lower edges, however, with rudder blades 6 so that they will not turn aside when encountering snow drifts or hard ice, the lblades depending below theilower edges of the runners so as to penetrate the rsurface overwhich the machine is moving suiiiciently'to counteract any tendency to skid.y A; 'plow isdispo'sedat the outer side of each ruimer yand consists of a blade 7, preferably a steel plate, and ay inoldboard 8 'aloilgthe flOT/l't @fige of Whdi the blade is secured. Tlie'plow is mounted insuch ainanner that itsrear edge 1s higher than its front-edge and it inclinesrearward-k lyinrthefdirection offits "length so that itV readily rscrapes the snow from the road andy turns aside the loose snow thus taken up. On the outer sides of the runners 1n rear of the plows are vertically disposedirac ts 9 fand extending rearwardly from the plowsjat thefinner ends thereof are beams 10 on which "arey journaied 'vertical shafts -iir having worms;

12 thereon meshingwith `the respectiyely adjacent racks whereby the'plows may bead-vk justed vertically. The shafts y11 are equippedr with hand wheels'13 at their upper ends to facilitate their manipulatioI/i.k y

From the rear edges of the mold boards rise deflectors 14 which turna'side the snow scrapedip byk the plows and lprevent it from passing over onto the tractor or any of the `parts associated therewith, and thence returning to the roadbed. Vertically disposed pintles 15 are provided at the outer ends of the deflectors and wings 16 are hingedly mounted at their front ends on said pintles, holding bars 17 being pivoted to the inner sides ofthe wings, near the rear ends thereof, and extending inwardly therefrom over a Y platform 18 which is disposed in rear of the tractor and is coupled thereto. The inner ends of the holding bars or braces 17 vare formed into 'or provided with rack bars 19 which pass on opposite sides of and mesh with a pinion Q0 on the lower end of a vertical shaft 21 mounted in a box 22 on the platform at the center thereof, a hand wheel 23 being provided on the upper end of the shaft, as clearly shown. Rotation of the shaft will obviously shift the holding bars or braces 17 inwardly or outwardly and thereby spread the wingsfto any desire-d extent so that the snow will be turned aside to form a path or road of any width. A ylocking pin 24 is mounted in the box 22 and adapted to engage the pinion 20 to hold the same in a set position and thereby maintain the adjustment of the wings. Y f

Extending rearwardly from the plows' at about the centers thereof, are beams or coupling bars 25 which are pivoted at their rear ends to the front ends of bars 26 which carry the platform 18 and project forwardly -V dulations in the road will be avoided, and a vcovered with metal.

therefrom, relative vertical movement of the' plows and the platform being thus Vpermitted so that the machine may accommodate itself Vtolpossible inequalities in the roadbed. The beams or bars are also connected with plo-ws by obliquely disposed braces 27 so that the machine is lreinforced sufficiently tof effectually withstand the strain imposed thereon by large drifts or snowbanls. Between the beams lO and the runners 3,`bloeks 28 are secured on the rear sides Yof the plo-ws and these blocks are The front end of the tractor lies close'to these blocks and, in turning, will bear against them and support the plow andvfacilitate the turning of the same.

The. runners travel ahead of the tractor and independently thereof so that the plows will work smoothly. Should the tractor strike soft snow, it sinks until it reaches a hard surface by the push bar, being hinged Vat both ends, freely adjusts itself to c0nditions vso that,V the, plow-carrying runners will travel smoothly, the formation ofrunv` `smooth bed for traiiic will be provided.

'Io guard against the crowding of snow backwardly between the runners 3, I'locate between the forward portions of said runf ners, a guard board 29 and to this board, a

blade 30 is adjustably secured for the purpose of breaking frozen crust and ice.

platform to be coupled to the rearof the motor vehicle, and vertically flexiblev couplings between the plows and the platform.

3. The combination of a pair of runners,

a rearwardly and .upwardly extending guard secured between the'runners, a blade adjustably secured upon the' guard, plows secured to the outer sides Vof the runners, wings hinged to the rear ends of the plows,

a platform, vertically-foldable connections between the runners and the platform, means carried by the platform. and the wings for laterally adjusting the wings, and meansfor coupling the runners and the platform to armotor vehicle arrangedbetween them.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this a 65- speciiication in the presence of twoV subscribing witnesses.

A HOWARD GRIMES. Witnesses: v j MARTHA K. HUMPHREY, Y Y Y ISABEL SHEEHY. 

